


What Happens Next

by raidelle



Series: Raidelle's Alphabet Prompts [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Hints of Romantic Lunyx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 04:37:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15502452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: Nyx Ulric wakes up in Galdin Quay, in the aftermath of the disastrous signing of the Peace Treaty. Lunafreya is there with him, and he experiences something akin to peace and something a little bit more.





	What Happens Next

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stopmopingstarthoping](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopmopingstarthoping/gifts).



> The prompt was **Lunyx + Night**.
> 
> It took quite a while, but I do hope this is something worth the wait. Cheers!

Nyx Ulric woke up on a soft, fresh-smelling bed, to the sound of waves crashing gently on a distant shore. It was a little surprising and a lot disconcerting, considering that he’d already accepted that he wouldn’t be waking up again after he’d worn the damn Ring.

He allowed himself a couple of painful breaths before he opened his eyes. A warm yellow glow washed over him, instead of the harsh purple-blue he’d been expecting. Huh. Definitely Eos then, and not the Astral Realm or wherever the hell it was that he and the Kings of Yore had had their come-to-Bahamut talk.

He turned his head to get some clues as to where he was, and was met with a view of the night sky littered with stars through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. It was a different kind of darkness, this night beyond the Wall, limned with silver and gold and a penetrating quiet that wrapped around him like a shroud of comfort.

Shifting his attention to the right, he was met with an even more surprising sight: the Oracle, sleeping rather soundly on a large bed opposite his own. She was laying on her side, as if she had been watching him before she fell asleep.

“Princess,” he called out, voice hoarse from apparent disuse. The Oracle didn’t stir, although she scrunched her nose at the interruption. Nyx would have laughed if he were able; as it was, he just blew an amused breath then tried again. “Lady Lunafreya.”

The Oracle woke up as he’d imagined she would: slowly, gracefully, like an opening flower. Of course, Nyx had to question his sanity because what the fuck was he doing, thinking about how Lunafreya Nox Fleuret would look like when she woke up. She’s beautiful, sure, but --

“Oh, you’re awake,” she breathed. “Thank the Astrals.”

“Yeah,” Nyx replied. He cleared his throat in the hopes of removing the last traces of scratchiness. “Sit rep?”

The Oracle frowned at him, and he clarified, “What happened?”

Lunafreya rose to sit on the edge of the bed and self-consciously patted her hair Then she turned those blue, blue eyes on him, a frown still marring her pale, glossy lips. “I know what ‘sit rep’ means,” she said, her tone almost melancholic. “It is an unfortunately common utterance of my brother.”

Nyx still couldn’t figure out why she sounded so sad, even with the admittedly thin explanation. “Well then. Mind giving it to me? Or would you rather call the Marshal?”

With a deep and regretful sigh, the Oracle launched into the most basic but most elegant situation report Nyx has ever heard. “Niflheim has retreated for now and has agreed to an extended truce, the initial draft of which will be written in two days by His Majesty, the Lord Shield Amicitia, Marshal Leonis, and what remains of the High Council.

“Both sides have sustained considerable losses, in both structures and human lives, but Insomnia had the upper hand thanks to your...”

Here the Oracle paused, as if unsure how to describe his actions. “Thanks to your bravery,” she finally said. “The High Council and the Crownsguard both agree that there are no more security threats, but they also thought it would be better to relocate somewhere far removed from the site of chaos in order for the chain of command to better function.”

Nyx was tempted to ask about Crowe, Lib, Pelna, and the rest of his ‘Glaive unit when Lunafreya took another pause, but she surprised him when she stood up, took the three steps to cross the space between their beds, and sat down by his foot. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Okay, I guess,” he said and Lunafreya actually raised her eyebrows at him in disbelief. He amended with, “I feel exhausted, my whole body’s one big ache, except my left side ‘cause that’s all pins and needles bordering on really fucking numb.”

Despite the swear word, Lunafreya gave him a slight smile this time. “That is unfortunate but rather normal, I am afraid. Communing with the Astrals and the Spirits can be physically taxing, even more so for someone so unused to it. And you still had to…” Again, the Oracle paused to search for the right word. “You still had to fight with all you had to bring us this moment of peace.”

Nyx forced out a small chuckle. “If I fought with all I had, princess, I wouldn’t still be here.”

“I’m not a princess,” she said with uncharacteristic peevishness.

“It flows better than ‘Oracle.’” He cocked his head in lieu of a shrug.

Luna blew an irritated sigh. It was fascinating, Nyx mused, the interplay of emotions in Lunafreya’s face. It was so… normal. Human. He’d always imagined the Oracle to be dwelling in a space where she was both unreachable and accessible. And now, here she was, an arm’s length from him and insisting that she is not royalty. Which reminded him --

“And besides, you’re getting married to Prince Noctis soon, yeah? The wedding’s still on, right? So,” Nyx said with finality. “Princess.”

The irritation smoothly morphed into fondness at the mention of the prince’s name. “I suppose so, yes,” she said. Then the fondness turned into introspection, as quickly as a butterfly flitting between flowers. “Unless both parties decide otherwise. Our marriage was more a political bargaining chip than anything, and now that the initial agreement has been voided I --”

A spark of unknown emotion, confusing and electrifying all at once, flared in Nyx’s heart at those words. He supposed he was an insensitive bastard for feeling it, whatever it was, but it was there and it can’t be denied.

He forced himself to tune in to Lunafreya again, who was still speaking softly. “... if you must insist on calling me ‘princess,’ may I also impose upon addressing you as Glaive Ulric? Or perhaps ‘Hero’ would suffice?”

Nyx groaned. She got him there. “Wow, that was a low blow. I didn’t think you had it in you, pri-- I mean, Lunafreya.”

She giggled then, a melodious, tinkling sound that was like a balm to Nyx’s ears. “Please call me Luna.”

“Call me Nyx.”

“Of course,” Luna nodded. “Thank you for what you did, Nyx. It was an enormous risk, and one that you didn’t have to take. But you did, and you have my gratitude. Especially for the lengths that you went through to ensure my safety.”

“You don’t have to thank me for doing my job, Luna,” Nyx replied. He decided he liked the way her name felt on his tongue, and the glitter in her eyes when she heard him call her as such. “I kinda did a bang-up job, to be honest. How’re you holding up?”

“I’m all right. A few superficial wounds that would heal even without the aid of Lucian magic.”

As she said it, Nyx’s eyes flicked up to her cheek where a shallow wound has already begun scabbing over. When she noticed his gaze, her hand immediately jumped to her cheek and a pretty blush crept up from her neck.

It made Nyx smile, that blush. It was yet another glimpse of that other side of her that made him want to know who she truly was.

And all of a sudden, he was struck by such a visceral need to hold her close it felt like a physical blow to the gut. He has never allowed himself to want, to crave anything since Mom and Selena, and yet here it was, flowing in his veins and reminding him of its name.

He turned his gaze toward the window, where he could see the water glittering in the moonlight. It soothed him, if only for a moment, until he caught Luna’s profile in the glass. She was looking at him, studying him, her reflection ethereal yet all too present.

“So what happens next?” He said, turning back to her. Their eyes met, storm and dawn, and there was a thrill that went through him that coalesced into a small measure of peace.

“We move forward. That is all there is for us now,” Luna replied. Her hand reached for his, finally, and she carefully threaded their fingers into a soft, warm hold.

Nyx allowed himself to feel, to bask in this golden moment, in this room bathed in moonlight where everything has not quite fallen into place and yet all was well just the same.

He felt so tranquil, so removed from the chaos both of the outside world and his emotions, ensconced as he was in the comfort of Luna’s touch, that the soft knock of a fist on wood made him jump. The Marshal’s voice sounded from outside, her name the only warning before he pushed open the door.

Nyx made to pull his hand from Luna’s grasp, but she held on with a surprisingly strong grip. She gave him a quick reassuring glance as Cor Leonis stepped in just past the threshold. “I’m sorry to bother you, Lady Lunafreya, but you’re needed in the conference room. Prince Noctis and his retinue are arriving shortly.”

Luna simply nodded, and Cor promptly exited the room and closed the door again. If he noticed their joined hands, which he most likely did, he made no comment and Nyx was grateful. To mention it seemed tantamount to ruining a delicate balance.

“I suppose I have to go,” Luna finally said, although she made no move to leave.

“I suppose,” Nyx echoed.

He turned his eyes back toward the window, to the expanse of the sparkling sea stretching out into the dark horizon. He didn’t know how long Luna held his hand, how long until she truly had to heed the call of duty, but her warmth lingered enough for him to fall back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Say hello to me on Tumblr! I'm raidelle there, too. :)
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! Please let me know what you think.


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